Stare Mesto Orientation Walk, Prague

Old Town (Czech: Staré Město) is a medieval settlement of Prague, once separated from the outside by a semi-circular moat and wall, connected to the Vltava at both of its ends. The moat is now covered up by the streets, which remain the official boundary of the cadastral district of Old Town. Notable places in the Old Town include the Old Town Square, Astronomical Clock, Kinsky Palace and many others. Take this orientation walk to explore the Prague Old Town at its best.

You can follow this self-guided walking tour to explore the attractions listed below. How it works: download the app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" on iTunes App Store or Google Play to your mobile phone or tablet. The app turns your mobile device into a personal tour guide and its built-in GPS navigation functions guide you from one tour stop to next. The app works offline so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

While staying in Prague, you will, of course, visit the Old Town Square which is the heart of the city. Once a thriving market, the square is now a pedestrian area where tourists gather to relax over a drink in one of the many outdoor cafés and restaurants.

Here you will find some of the most impressive medieval buildings in Prague, beginning with the Old Town City Hall, built in 1364 and famous for its Astronomical Clock. At the northern end of the square stands the 18th century St Nicholas... view more

The Old Town Hall belongs to the most important sights of Prague historical center. The town hall office had been situated in the corner burgher’s house with a tower since the first half of the 14th century. The Old Town Hall is currently comprised of a building complex of several burghers' houses which were purchased and rebuilt over the centuries.

Today the building complex of the Old Town Hall serves as the cultural and representative space of the city of Prague. The Gallery can use... view more

The Prague Astronomical Clock was built in around 1410 and is one of the oldest clocks of this type in Europe and the only one still working.

It is set in the Old Town Hall and is certainly worth seeing as it shows the large degree of scientific knowledge of the era. The clock face represents the Earth and the sky; one part for the day and the other for the night. The clock’s outer ring shows old Czech time; the astronomical dial shows the movements of the Sun and the Moon, and a third dial... view more

The Church of Our Lady before Týn is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80m high and topped by four small spires. The northern portal is a wonderful example of Gothic sculpture from the Parler workshop, with a relief depicting the Crucifixion. The main entrance is located on the church's western face, through a narrow passage between the houses in front of the church. ... view more

Prague is renowned for its beautiful buildings and perhaps the best of them is the Kinsky Palace in the Old Town Square.

The palace was built in the 18th century on the grounds of three 13th century buildings and you can see the vestiges of them in the cellars. Although the architecture is essentially Baroque, the façade is finest Rococo; the front of the palace is decorated with symbolic sculptures of the four Elements and antique gods. It was from the balcony of this palace that Klement... view more

Prague is renowned for its wonderful palaces, towers and castles. If you are a history lover, it’s probably the best city in Europe to visit, but after immersing yourself for several days in historical buildings, art galleries and concert halls, you might have a hankering to see something modern. If this is the case, take a trek to the Republic Square.

This square lies at the boundary of Old Town and New Town and is the intersection of eight roads. Here you will find the Municipal House,... view more

The Municipal House ('Obecní dům') is a major civic landmark and concert hall in Prague, as well as an important building in architectural and political history in the Czech Republic. The Art Nouveau structure is an artifact of Czech nationalism of the time and carries a wealth of ornament by some of the leading Czech artists of its day.

The main facade features a large ceramic half-dome mosaic above the entry, 'Homage to Prague', by Karel Špillar. On either... view more

The Powder Gate is a gothic gate in Prague, Czech Republic. It is one of the symbols of Prague, leading into the Old Town. Dating from 1475, the Powder Gate was built as one of 13 gates to the city. At the time construction began, it was connected to the royal palace. Before construction was completed, however, King Vladislav Jagellonský moved his residence to Prague Castle in 1485. However, the Powder Gate remained important to the Bohemian kings: from that time until 1836, the Bohemian... view more

Na Příkopě (literally "on the moat"), also known as Na Příkopech or Příkopy, is a street in central Prague which connects Wenceslas Square to Square of the Republic and separates the Old Town from the New Town, founded in the 14th century. The street houses some of the most expensive residential property in Prague, office buildings (e.g. imposing headquarters of the Czech National Bank), historic palaces, cafés, and luxury shops (such as Černá Růže, Myslbek, and Slovanský... view more

No visit to Prague would be complete without a walk along Celetna Street, part of the ancient Royal Road that was the coronation route from the Old Town to Prague Castle.

Celetna Street was named after the plaited rolls that used to be sold to the public while they waited to watch nobles pass by on their way to the castle. Nowadays the street is lined with souvenir shops, cafés and restaurants. In Prague it’s difficult not to start starting a photo collection of house signs and if you have... view more

The Estates Theatre was commissioned in 1780 by a German-born Czech aristocrat named Frantisek Antonin Count Nostitz Rieneck, who wanted to have a theatre in Prague that rivaled the theatres in Vienna. The inscription over the entrance reads “Patriae et Musis” (To the Homeland and the Muses). It is one of the only theatres in Europe that is preserved in its original state.

It only took two years to build and was opened in 1783. Mozart loved this theatre and conducted the première of Don... view more

If you want to visit a really breath-taking church, don’t be fooled by the rather plain Gothic exterior of St Jilji Church in the Old Town.

The church was founded in the 13th century by the Bishop Jan IV on the site of another, older church. Remodelling was carried out in the 14th century by Dominican monks. In the 18th century a monastery was built beside the church.

The Baroque interior dates from this time and is quite simply beautiful, with its elaborate stuccoes by Bernard Spinetti... view more

The Clam-Gallas Palace is a baroque palace in Prague. This palace is on Husova Street, in Prague Old Town. The Palace was first designed by the imperial court architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, from Vienna. It was built in 1714-18 by the Italian architect Domenico Canevale. During the rest of the 18th century, lavish balls and concerts were held in the Palace, and were attended by noteworthy artists including Mozart and Beethoven.

When you follow the Royal Route from the Old Town to Prague Castle, a part of it will take you through Karlova Street and you are certain to spend a little time exploring this quaint road.

Karlova Street begins at the Square of the Knights of the Cross and ends near the Charles Bridge. Most of the buildings have Baroque façades but have kept their Gothic or Romanesque cellars and vaults.

If you take photos of house-signs you can add several to your collection: “At the Blue Pike” was... view more

The Clementinum (Klementinum) is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic. The history of the Klementinum dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. The National Library was founded in 1781 and from 1782 the Klementinum was a legal deposit library. In 1918 the newly-established Czecho-Slovak state took over the library. Since 1990, it has been the National Library.... view more

The Charles Bridge (Karlův most) is a famous historical bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished at the beginning of the 15th century. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava (Moldau), the Charles Bridge was the most important connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle, and adjacent areas until 1841. This "solid-land" connection made Prague important as a trade route between... view more

The beauty of Prague’s architecture is amply represented by the Old Town Tower Bridge which stands at one end of the Charles Bridge. Erected in the 14th century it was part of the old fortifications, built to protect the city from invaders coming from the North.

Above the arch, you will see the coat of arms of the Bohemian Kingdom and the symbol of Wenceslas IV, a kingfisher. Above this are three statues, Charles IV on the right, Wenceslas IV on the left and St Vitus in the middle. Statues... view more

Bethlehem Chapel is one of the most famous of Prague’s many chapels and you shouldn’t miss visiting it. It stands in Bethlehem Square in the Old Town.

The Catholic Church approved the building of a small chapel in 1391, but the chapel was a lot bigger than they had agreed to and housed up to 3000 churchgoers. Sermons were given in the Czech language instead of in German which had domination over the medieval Bohemian Church at that time.

Wenceslas Square is almost an avenue as it is shaped as a very long rectangle, running from the northwest boundary of New Town to the Neoclassical National Museum at the southeast end.

The square came into being in the 14th century when Charles IV founded New Town; at that time it was a horse market. During the national revival in the 19th century, it received its current name and a very fine statue of St. Wenceslas was erected there. The Good King is mounted on his horse and around the base... view more

Walking Tours in Prague, Czech Republic

Creating your own self-guided walk in Prague is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Hradčany, or the Castle District, is an area in Prague surrounding the Prague Castle. The latter is said to be the biggest castle in the world (measuring some 570 meters long and approximate 130 meters wide). Going back in history as far as the 9th century, the castle has been the seat of power for Bohemian kings, Holy Roman emperors, leaders of Czechoslovakia and is currently the official residence of the Czech Republic President. Located nearby is St Vitus' Cathedral, housing the Archbishop of Prague. Despite the presence of majestic, historic locations, Hradčany also has plenty of romantic and peaceful nooks and corners, complete with picturesque lookouts, much to the delight of numerous guests of the city and locals. Take this walk and explore some of these at your own pace!

There are many renowned historical and contemporary museums in Prague. They are usually located in old palaces that are monuments themselves. You can get the feel of the past and present of the Czech Republic while visiting some of the following museums in Staré Město area of Prague.

It would be a pity to leave Prague without having explored its specialty shops and bringing home something truly original. We've compiled a list of gifts and souvenirs, which are unique to Prague, that a visitor might like to purchase to reflect their visit.

Malá Strana ("Little Quarter") is a district in Prague, one of the most historically significant in the city. Back in the Middle Ages, it was predominantly populated by ethnic Germans and, in later years, largely retained Germanic influence, despite prevalence of the Baroque style in architecture. The most prominent landmark of Malá Strana is the Wallenstein Palace. There are also a number of interesting churches, including St. Nicholas's Cathedral. Other local attractions include the Franz Kafka Museum, the Michna Palace, and the Petřín Tower renowned for its resemblance with the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

Previously known mainly for its beer and ice-hockey (both for a very good reason), today's Czech Republic - and, primarily, its capital city Prague - is seen among the top European tourist destinations emerged following the breakup of the Soviet Bloc. A shooting ground for some Hollywood...